Wellspring Psychotherapy

Parents - this is an important read.

I was groomed by someone I met playing video games online: What I want parents and kids to know

We post these quotes to give a space where survivors can speak their truth and so others can hear them. Thank you to the survivors who have bravely chosen to share part of their stories and raise awareness about child sexual abuse. Most survivors remain quiet about their abuse for years or decades. Or even if they do share, others don't listen or believe their stories. These quotes offer insights into what it is like being a CSA survivor.
If you would like to share a quote from your own experience, please email us at [email protected] or you can send us a DM. You can use your first name or be posted anonymously.

MOCSA Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) Sunflower House

Wellspring Psychotherapy would like to introduce 2 practicum students: Matraca Smith (FHSU MSW student) and Halea Haltom (KU MSW student). They are offering session low-cost sessions ($25) for all ages. We are excited to have them join us!

785-577-3389 to set up an appointment.

Matraca Smith

I am a central Kansas native. I graduated from Moundridge High School, and then McPherson College with my bachelors degree in psychology. I am currently attending Fort Hays State University for my Masters of Social Work, and will graduate in May 2025.

I am a firm believer that no two people are the same, and everyone deserves to be heard. I am here to listen to you, and assist you in your mental health needs.

Halea Haltom

I am a student at University of Kansas and working on my Masters of Social Work and graduated from Kansas Wesleyan with a BS in Social Work. I have a passion for clients struggling with addictions, working with veterans, as well as those who are involved with the legal system. I believe everyone can grow out of their circumstances if they desire to and are provided the opportunity and resources. I have a passion for helping people change their life and grow into the person they desire to be. I have served in the Navy and have worked/interned/volunteered with DVACK and Ashby House.

64 Children age 0-10 were criminally sodomized in Kansas in 2022. These statistics only account for cases that were actually reported. Studies show that the average survivor of child sexual abuse does not disclose their abuse until later in life with the average age being 52 years old.

Please help protect KS Children from Sexual Predators by supporting legislation that will allow survivors of abuse to expose hidden predators.

MOCSA Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) Children's Advocacy Centers of Kansas Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson Speaker Dan Hawkins Senator Kellie Warren Susan Humphries Larry Alley for Kansas Molly Baumgardner For Kansas Senate Rick Billinger for Senate Senator Elaine Bowers J.R. Claeys Ethan for Kansas Kansans for Brenda John Doll for Kansas Renee Erickson Mike F**g Oletha Faust-Goudeau Marci Francisco, Kansas State Senator KS Senator Beverly Gossage Kansas Senator David Haley District 4 Tom Holland Cindy Holscher for Kansas Kansas Senator Rick Kloos Longbine for Kansas Senate Senator Kristen O'Shea Virgil Peck for State Senate Senator Mike Petersen Pat Pettey Senator Jeff Pittman Pyle Usha Reddi, KS State Senator, District 22 Senator Ronald Ryckman Tim Shallenburger Dr. Mark Steffen Alicia Straub - Kansas First Senator Dinah Sykes Kansas Senator Mike Thompson Caryn Tyson Senator Rick Wilborn Karen4Kansas

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/UsGC8m55C1Lf1nUq/?mibextid=WC7FNe

We've been talking about the importance of attachment this week. Foster parents do critically important work in helping the children in their care learn about healthy attachments. Helping children and teens in this way has lifelong impacts.

This is part of the important work we teach in MAPP Foundations, the pre-service program that trains foster, adoptive, and kinship parents.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ZSYpW2o9Vf9W2zm4/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Are you a Kansan living with a disability or chronic health condition? Want to learn more about services and supports available to you? Take a brief survey about your needs and find out about services in your area. Visit this link: https://bit.ly/kudisability

This project is being conducted by the University of Kansas Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies and the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK).

[image descriptions: photo of white man wheeling onto a bus; photo of three dark-skinned women talking, one has pink hair and is using a cane, one is sitting in a wheelchair and the other is leaning against a wall; KU Jayhawk logo; SILCK sunflower logo]

These are great groups and offer an amazing opportunity for students to participate and grow their talents in music! Salina Symphony

https://www.facebook.com/share/5LoqS8aEkATYrfXp/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Think your child is safe from online predators? This, unfortunately is not true. Predators find ways to bypass safety measures and pose as kids.

“There are an estimated 500,000 online predators active each day. Children between the ages of 12 and 15 are especially susceptible to be groomed or manipulated by adults they meet online. According to the F.B.I., over 50 percent of the victims of online sexual exploitation are between the ages of 12 and 15. An estimated 89 percent of sexual advances directed at children occur in Internet chatrooms or through instant messaging. In over a quarter of all reported exploitation incidents, the online predator will ask a child for sexually explicit photos of themselves. Four percent of children receive aggressive solicitations from adults online, including attempts to contact the children in person or over the phone. In addition, 58 percent of parents report being concerned about the threats that strangers pose online. Two out of ten children between the ages of 8 and 11 are aware of the issue and are concerned that strangers may find out information about them. And while using social media, forty percent of children remove privacy settings in order to attract more friends or followers.” https://childsafety.losangelescriminallawyer.pro/amp/children-and-grooming-online-predators.html

Technology Facilitated Abuse is becoming more and more prevalent. Kids and teens need protected from the dangers of the internet, social media, and electronic devices‼️‼️

Thorn in partnership with Benenson Strategy Group conducted qualitative and quantitative research among 9-17-year-olds about online grooming. For more information on the study, click the link below.
https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/2022_Online_Grooming_Report.pdf

In solemn silence of those who gave all. We thank you and your families.

Memorial Day isn’t just a day. It is a responsibility that we all carry to remember those who have sacrificed all for our country.

https://www.vvmf.org/2024-Memorial-Day/

As we head into the end of the school year and beginning of summer, you and your child are going to experience overstimulation. This is your reminder to take time for yourself and your child.

- It’s okay to not attend every event.
- It’s okay to not be involved in multiple sports/activities (even if everyone else is)
- It’s okay to prioritize relationships, self-care, the act of just “being”

A child is bored because they don’t know what to do with unstructured free time. Help them learn to find ways to enjoy this time - without technology! Some ideas would be nature explorations (hikes, finding creatures, watching clouds), coloring, board games, fishing, cooking, writing, etc.

One of the most important things to remember is that your child learns stress/emotional managing from adults around them. Adults also help co-regulate them. If you are upset, your child will often respond with emotional deregulation (hyperactivity, anger, sadness, anxiety). This is why self-care for parents is vital for your child.

Synergetic Play Therapy Institute has some great ideas for grounding and emotional regulation.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/QDnygwWTomY4Q5m3/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Crunchy Mama ❤
Sometimes, we all do.......

♡ If you would like to be kept in the loop on everything Synergetic Play Therapy or get resources to support you on your journey, join us here: https://linktr.ee/synergeticplaytherapy ♡

Difficult conversations can be… well, difficult. Many couples ignore them, resulting in a breakdown in the relationship. The Gottman Institute offers a map to having these conversations.

https://www.facebook.com/share/YrZ4bv62Rbgfa1s1/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Please stop by for formula.
We don’t want it to go to waste!

A difficulty many abuse survivors have is collecting proof. The goal of this app is to create a safe and secure place to store any essential information.

TikTok · awillow11 112 likes, 2 comments. “Have you seen the hidden app to stash evidence of abuse? Coming soon.”

Looking for things to do this summmer? The Summer Activity Guide has been released.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/VSpLuK8HmUUWC2DJ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

🌞 Exciting News! 🎉 Our 2024 Summer Activity Guide is now available online! 📅 Explore our upcoming programs and activities by visiting www.salinaparks.com today! Don't miss out on all the fun this summer has to offer! ☀️ 🏊‍♂️🎨🏀

Talking about money does not have to lead to an argument. The Gottman Institute is a great source of relationship building and conflict reducing ideas.


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When Infection Sparks Obsession: PANDAS and PANS

! Let’s review what happened:

➡️Texas passed legislation on June 12, 2023 requiring all p**n sites to use ID-based (or other robust) age verification to ensure visitors are 18+.

➡️ The p**n industry’s advocacy arm, the Free Speech Coalition, along with P*rnhub, sued the state of Texas and were granted an injunction.

➡️ The Texas Attorney General appealed the injunction and the US Court of Appeals ruled that requiring age verification on p**n sites is constitutional.

Now, rather than complying with the new law, P*rnhub is getting out of Texas. We’ll count that as a W.

This is ANOTHER major win for our campaign! You can sign the petition calling for age verification in all 50 states at the link in our bio.

Many children who are will never disclose their abuse. Education is essential as is providing a space for them to feel safe enough to share.

Sexual battery is highest among 10-14 yrs old. Awareness and education is essential to stopping our children from becoming victims.

Children ages 10-14 represent the largest group of Sexual Battery cases in Kansas in 2022. These statistics only account for cases that were actually reported. Studies show that the average survivor of child sexual abuse does not disclose their abuse until later in life with the average age being 52 years old. Please help protect KS Children from sexual predators by supporting legislation that will allow survivors of abuse to expose hidden predators.

Senator Kellie Warren Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson Larry Alley for Kansas Speaker Dan Hawkins Speaker Pro Tempore Blake Carpenter Senator Rick Wilborn Susan Humphries Mark Schreiber for Kansas House Jeff Underhill for Kansas Cindy Holscher for Kansas Usha Reddi, KS State Senator, District 22 Carolyn McGinn Kansas State Senator Kansas Representative Bob Lewis Children's Advocacy Centers of Kansas MOCSA Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) Sunflower House LifeHouse Child Advocacy Center SOS Child Advocacy Center Stepping Stones Child Advocacy Center Heart to Heart Child Advocacy Center Children's Advocacy Center of Douglas County- KS Leavenworth Atchison Child Advocacy Center Sunlight Children’s Services Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County Hope Unlimited NCK CASA & Hope's Place CAC Horizons Child Advocacy Center Meadowlark House Child Advocacy Center Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center

According to RAINN.org, every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. Every 9 minutes, that victim is a child. Less than 25 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison.

The KBI 2022 report on DV, stalking and r**e showed that only 15.2% of reported r**es resulted in arrest. For Saline County, it is 8.8%.

According to the report, 96.4% of reported victims are females and 66.7% are under the age of 25.

In Saline County, the following statistics were reported -
2020 - 29 r**es, 2 arrests
2021 - 39 r**es, 2 arrests
2022 - 34 r**es, 3 arrests

The majority of sexual assaults go unreported.



https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLdDMrXr/

TikTok · ms.magoo 498 likes, 27 comments. “ ”

Trauma can be the result of many different events. Medical trauma is often overlooked or minimized. Near death experiences or anaphalyctic allergies can be a significant cause of trauma. Latex allergies are often mocked by others and ignored. This results in people not having access to necessary services as well as community events. Churches are telling people that a balloon is more important than a person attending. Physician offices will put up arches for celebrations. Schools will have them everywhere so people are unable to even attend their child's graduation. Those who work on the frontlines, people who have surgeries, premature babies, and those with spina bifida are at a significantly higher risk of developing anaphylaxis.

"The balloons were coated in latex powder, Newman, 38, told a local news station, and caused her to have a dangerous reaction. “I felt my lips swelling and couldn’t breathe,” she told 7 News. “I knew I was in trouble.”

Newman’s sister called an ambulance after three EpiPens were not enough to stop her swelling. She was transported to a local hospital, where she was still recovering in the intensive care unit a few days later.

Latex is a natural rubber that’s found in thousands of products, from condoms to children’s toys. About 1% to 5% of the general population is allergic to latex, but the number is higher-about 10% to 17%-among health-care workers. (Doctors and nurses who wear gloves or handle equipment made with latex are more likely to develop an allergy, because the risk increases with repeated exposure.)"

Why a Woman With a Latex Allergy Almost Died at an Adele Concert Pooja Newman went into anaphylactic shock after dozens of balloons floated down on the crowd. Here's what to look out for-and how to protect yourself-if you have a latex allergy of your own.

Does your teen have a rare disease? It can feel like there are no resources available for caregivers navigating these challenges. This webinar looks at the unique mental health challenges related to teens with rare diseases.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/hyx8ddqRnLuog6pL/?mibextid=WC7FNe

NORD and the Usher Syndrome Society invite you to a virtual event with psychotherapist, author and Usher syndrome advocate Rebecca Alexander! Register here: https://bit.ly/3TaYSLC

Intended for caregivers of teens with rare diseases, this webinar will discuss mindfulness, grief, radical acceptance, boundaries, and self-advocacy, followed by a Q&A.

It is important to get a thorough medical evaluation as part of your mental health treatment. This is especially true for children. If there has been a sudden onset of symptoms in your child, PANDAS/PANS would be important to rule-out. Visit www.pandasnetwork.org for more information.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/B5kJuuazoiia9PPx/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Did you know PANDAS/ PANS is not rare, but it’s rarely diagnosed! Checkout pandasnetwork.org for great resources on signs, symptoms, providers by state and much more!

A new pediatric Syndrome from Covid is being recognized. It is called PASC post acute Sars Covid in children which affects mental health and other neuro immune functions.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/7oqadF2f5AoutFWH/?mibextid=WC7FNe

1 act of Sexual Battery was reported every 6 hours, 42 minutes and 27 seconds in Kansas in 2022. These statistics only account for cases that were actually reported. Studies show that the average survivor of child sexual abuse does not disclose their abuse until later in life with the average age being 52 years old. Please help protect KS Children from sexual predators by supporting legislation that will allow survivors of abuse to expose hidden predators.

Senator Kellie Warren Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson Larry Alley for Kansas Speaker Dan Hawkins Speaker Pro Tempore Blake Carpenter Senator Rick Wilborn Rep. Chris Croft Carl Maughan For Kansas Senator Elaine Bowers Kansas Senator David Haley District 4 Kansas Representative Bob Lewis Mark Schreiber for Kansas House Carolyn McGinn Kansas State Senator Cindy Holscher for Kansas Usha Reddi, KS State Senator, District 22 Jeff Underhill for Kansas KS Senator Beverly Gossage Molly Baumgardner For Kansas Senate Dr. Mark Steffen Susan Estes for Kansas Susan Humphries Susan Concannon for Kansas Representative - 107th District State Representative Ford Carr Cyndi Howerton for Kansas Leah Howell State Representative Cindy Neighbor for Kansas
Representative Paul Waggoner - Kansas 104th House District Children's Advocacy Centers of Kansas MOCSA Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County Sunflower House Brian Hill for Shawnee County Sheriff Todd Thompson Leavenworth County Attorney LifeHouse Child Advocacy Center Borjon for Kansas

If you are able to take advantage of this, I highly recommend it!

https://www.facebook.com/share/nWh9cGDPM1faRDVM/?mibextid=WC7FNe

"The Truth About Parenting" - FREE Conference! Free Conference - Mindful Parenting and Emotional Wellness - November 10-14

You don’t need grand gestures to show your partner love. Instead, frequent small acts will help to make your partner feel adored and appreciated. As Dr. John Gottman says, “Successful long-term relationships are created through small words, small gestures, and small acts.”

As a subscriber to the Love Notes newsletter enjoy a free exclusive download at the beginning of every month. Sign-up here and get your download today: https://bit.ly/30JWG2H

🌟Free dental clinic coming to Salina on January 12th-13th🌟

Kansas Mission of Mercy Dental Services will be offering free dental services for all ages. From screenings to cleanings, don’t miss this opportunity!